Statistics

Babe Ruth Statistics

“Others may break Babe’s stats, but show me one ballplayer that can break them all.” – Donna Analovitch, Granddaughter of Babe Ruth

With the passing of each season as team and individual accomplishments are tallied, debates are heard in bars, stadiums and homes across the country, as well as in the media – Who’s The Best?!? It’s true for all the major U.S. sports – football, basketball, hockey and baseball – as well as worldwide sports – soccer, bicycling, tennis, golf and more. But, it is baseball that holds a particular passion in many fans’ minds, with its rich tradition and long history – longer than any other professional team sport in the U.S.

The Best Baseball Player of All-Time

So who is the best baseball player of all time? Many names come to mind, as Major League Baseball, the Negro Leagues and some of the world leagues, such as the ones in Japan, have produced some amazing ballplayers.

When looking at Major League Baseball, the answer is apparent. At the end of 1999, the most highly-recognized members of the sports media all came together to determine their lists of the best athletes or baseball players of the 20th Century. Without fail, Babe Ruth was at the top of everyone’s lists:

Member Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Associated Press Athlete of the Century

ESPN Sports Century – #2 Athlete of the Century (#1 was Michael Jordan)

The Sporting News Greatest Baseball Player of All-Time

Sports Illustrated Greatest Baseball Player of the 20th Century

Why was this recognition so unanimous? Likely because, when you consider all of the Babe’s abilities, feats, statistics and stats in the proper context, no other ballplayer has matched his same level of pitching and hitting skills, as well as pure baseball ability. A deeper look into all of Babe’s statistics demonstrates just how dominating a baseball player he truly was.Take the 1919 season for example, when Babe Ruth began his transition from a pitcher to a hitter. Because he had a significant amount of play in both roles, his statistics from that year illustrate his well-rounded abilities:

Pitching:

12 Complete Games

.642 Win/Loss Percentage

2.97 ERA

Hitting:

29 Homeruns (1st in the American League)

114 RBIs (1st in the American League)

.322 Batting Average (8th in the American League)

.657 Slugging Percentage (1st in the American League)

Looking beyond that one season, Babe amassed 56 major league stats for hitting and pitching, by the time he retired in 1935. Let’s take a more in-depth look: